


Purity

by vix_spes



Series: Kink Me Merlin Fills [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Canon Era, Friendship, Getting Together, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Protectiveness, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-15
Updated: 2011-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-07 19:28:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1123519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After some help from Leon, Arthur comes to the realisation that he’s interested in Merlin and doesn’t want anyone else to have him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Purity

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the following prompt at [kinkme_merlin](http://kinkme-merlin.livejournal.com): Several knights and/or noblemen start asking Arthur for permission to take Merlin to bed. Arthur finds out Merlin is still a virgin, a rare thing in Camelot and Arthur has to do something before Merlin gets hurt.

Arthur frowned as he caught sight of yet another group of knights glancing periodically in his direction and whispering to each other. It had been happening more and more recently but this was the first time that the culprits had been so obvious. The only thing was, he didn’t think that they were looking at him, he just couldn’t figure out who they _were_ looking at. Morgana had more than her own fair share of admirers but she was on the other side of the room talking to his father and they were definitely looking in his direction.

“Arthur?” He turned slightly to see Merlin stood at his side. “I’ve got to go and collect something from the kitchens. If you need something before I get back, Gwen is still here.”

He nodded his agreement and watched as Merlin left the hall. He flicked his eyes back to the group of knights only to see their gazes fixed on the spot that his gaze had just left; the door that Merlin had disappeared through. So it had been Merlin that they had been looking at. Whilst he was quite happy to admit that Merlin wasn’t wholly without his charms, he was admittedly more than a little surprised.

When Merlin returned, Arthur kept a close eye on Merlin even as he was scanning the attending guests. He was surprised to see that it wasn’t just that group of knights watching Merlin; he could see the eyes of random knights and even the odd nobleman lingering over his manservant. Merlin was, of course, completely oblivious but Arthur simply wouldn’t (or couldn’t) leave it alone. Discreetly, he motioned for Leon to join him at the now empty head table, knowing that he could trust his incredibly capable second-in-command to help him sort this out discreetly, unlike some of the other knights that he also trusted. Quickly and quietly he outlined what he wanted Leon to do, breathing a huge sigh of relief as Leon said that he would take care of things.

Within the hour his father and Morgana left, the latter with Gwen trailing after her, meaning that the only people left were the knights and the noblemen who were heavy drinkers. Arthur looked up at Merlin as he refilled Arthur’s goblet, frowning as he noticed the dark circles under his best friend’s eyes.

“You can go to bed now if you want Merlin. I’m not going to be up for much longer and I can do without you tonight.”

He didn’t miss the relief that flashed through Merlin’s eyes at his words and the eager way that he left the hall, practically running out of the room.

Arthur was true to his word and as soon as he had drained his goblet he stood to leave the room. What he really wasn’t prepared for as he made his way through the still packed hall, was for the number of calls and requests from drunken knights and noblemen asking for his permission to bed Merlin. His Merlin! He couldn’t believe it and he didn’t really understand it but it would certainly explain the glances that lingered over the waifish form of his manservant.

~*~

The following day before training, Arthur was asked by two more knights if they could bed Merlin, requests that were accompanied by lewd comments and gestures from several other visiting knights. Arthur didn’t bother to dignify them with a response and they were subjected to furious glares from the knights of Camelot, many of whom considered Merlin to be a friend. The knights who had made the comments and gestures were subsequently annihilated on the training field having to face Gwaine, Lancelot, Leon and finally Arthur in quick succession.

As he called the session to an end, Arthur was incredibly grateful that Merlin was working for Gaius that morning as he signalled for Leon to follow him. Once in his chambers, he took his usual seat and gestured for Leon to take the one opposite.

“Please tell me that you’ve got information for me Leon.”

He watched in amazement as Leon, always calm, collected and generally unflappable Leon blushed, actually blushed. He’d never seen this in all his years of knowing the older knight.

“Erm, it would appear that Merlin is somewhat of a rare commodity here in Camelot Sire.”

“What?” Arthur raised an eyebrow in an uncanny imitation of his father. “The only completely useless servant employed by the Royal Family?”

“Not quite. Well, erm, you see...”

Arthur had never seen him stutter or stammer either, apparently incapable of getting his words out.

“Oh for God’s sake Leon, will you just get on with it. Why are all these men asking me if they can bed Merlin?”

“If I may speak freely Sire? It would appear that Merlin is a virgin. To be blunt, they are asking your permission to take Merlin’s virginity.”

Arthur was aware that he was doing a rather uncanny imitation of a fish with his mouth opening and closing yet no sound emerging. He was having difficulty comprehending what Leon had just told him.

“They’re asking my permission to take Merlin’s virginity? This has never happened before, why now? Why Merlin?”

Leon looked discomfited for the second time. He also paused for quite a while as though he were trying to think of the best way to put his thoughts into words. “I believe that it’s because of who Merlin is Sire. You are incredibly proprietary over Merlin Sire, more so than you have been with anybody else. Everybody in Camelot knows that Merlin is yours, hence why everybody who is visiting is asking your permission. You’re the Crown Prince of Camelot and Merlin is viewed as your property. They are surprised that you haven’t claimed Merlin for yourself and that is why they have started asking. They assume that seeing as you haven’t claimed him that you are not interested in him.”

Seeing that Arthur was caught up in what he had just been told, Leon stood and silently made his exit. He knew that he had left Arthur with plenty to think about.

~*~

The next morning, Arthur was already awake and dressed when Merlin arrived with his breakfast, a highly unusual occurrence. Then again, Arthur had been up for most of the night thinking about the information that Leon had given him the previous night. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t noticed it before but then it wasn’t really something that he had or would think about.

He looked curiously at Merlin as he entered the room balancing the tray that contained Arthur’s breakfast and frowned; something wasn’t quite right. Merlin was paler than normal (something that should be impossible considering Merlin’s normal skin tone) and he looked as the he was moving awkwardly, almost as though he was favouring his ribs. This wasn’t good; getting answers out of Merlin was like getting blood out of a stone. Arthur sat and ate his breakfast, watching Merlin’s every move as he thought of ways to broach the subject. The decision was taken out of his hands when Merlin leaned across the bed to straighten out the covers and his shirt sleeve slid up to reveal bruises adorning his wrist. He could tell that his anger was written all over his face when Merlin looked at him like a frightened deer.

“Merlin, what happened? Who did this to you?”

Merlin looked down at the bruises that encircled his wrist and lightly loosened Arthur’s grasp, shrugging his shoulders as he pulled his sleeve back down to hide the marks. He wasn’t remotely prepared for Arthur to spin him around and grasp him by his shoulders, shaking him slightly.

“Don’t just shrug your shoulders at me. Who did this to you?”

Merlin looked away guiltily, refusing to meet Arthur’s eyes. “It’s not important.”

“Of course it’s important you bloody idiot! You’re important! Who was it? One of the visiting knights? One of the noblemen?” Merlin shifted slightly and Arthur knew that he had hit the jackpot. “One of the noblemen then. Which one was it? Merlin, please, I can’t help if you don’t tell me.”

“Lord Kincaid.”

Merlin’s voice was barely above a whisper but Arthur breathed a sigh of relief; he was finally making some progress. Slowly and gently, almost as if he were dealing with a frightened animal, he coaxed Merlin over to the chairs in front of the fireplace.

“Lord Kincaid gave you the bruises. Ok, what actually happened?”

He stayed on his knees in front of Merlin, resisting the urge to rub his thumb over the vivid marks. It appeared that his methods worked as Merlin started speaking just seconds later.

“I was coming from Gaius’ to get your breakfast and I ran into him, he just came out of nowhere. I apologised and tried to leave but he wouldn’t let me. He threw me against the wall and pinned my wrists. He just stared at me for a long time, it was really creepy, and then he leaned in; it was like he was trying to kiss me. Sir Gareth and Sir Lamorak came past though to change the guard at the front gate so he stepped back but I still couldn’t move. As soon as they’d left he grabbed my throat and said that if I told you what happened then I’d be in big trouble.”

“Yes well, you didn’t tell me Merlin, I found out myself. I’ve got some of Gaius’ bruise balm that you should put on. Take your shirt off.”

 Arthur forced himself to concentrate on helping Merlin and finding the pot of balm rather than going to find Lord Kincaid so that he could rip him apart with his bare hands. He was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted him when he turned around. Merlin had, for once, obeyed his orders unquestioningly and had taken his shirt off. The wash of surprising desire that swept over him at seeing the seeming miles of creamy skin was tempered both by the bruises that had begun to form as well as the disturbing fact that he could almost count Merlin’s ribs.

When he started to smooth the balm intended for bruises over the marks on Merlin’s neck and back, Arthur found that while he had been able to resist simply running his fingers over Merlin’s skin before, now he couldn’t stop himself even if he had wanted to. In fact, he needed the physical reassurance that Merlin was fine, just spooked and a bit jumpy. He was hyper-aware of every minute shift and noise that Merlin made. However, when he found himself amazed by the way that long ebony lashes rested on prominent cheekbones and staring at Merlin’s full lips and wondering what they would feel like, he had to pull back and put some distance in between them, take control of the situation in the only way that he knew how.

“Merlin, stay here. I don’t want you to leave this room until I come back.” Arthur grabbed his red jacket, pulled it on over his shirt and cast an eye over Merlin. “While you’re waiting, you can help yourself to my breakfast; I’m not supposed to be able to count your ribs.”

Before Merlin could voice any kind of protest he had gone, the door slamming shut behind him followed by the familiar sound of the key turning in the lock.

~*~

“My Lord, what are you doing?”

Arthur growled, actually growled, in Sir Leon’s direction. He really didn’t need to be distracted right now. “I’m going to find Lord Kincaid.”

Leon’s eyes widened and, weighing up the potential outcomes, decided to go with the one that didn’t end in visiting nobility being killed by the Crown Prince. He took a firm grasp on Arthur’s arm and dragged the resisting prince into his own chambers. Once inside, he stood by the door so that Arthur didn’t have any chance of getting out.

“I presume that this is regarding Merlin. As much as I hate having to say it, you can’t injure visiting noblemen over your manservant; your father would never allow it.”

“That bastard Kincaid pinned Merlin against the wall and tried to force him into ... into doing something that Merlin didn’t want to do and something that bloody bastard had no right to demand. None of the nobles of Camelot have done anything like this.”

Leon rolled his eyes subtly. Arthur may be a damn sight better than his father and particularly gifted when it came to battle strategies and the like but he was truly dense when it came to Merlin. Really, he shouldn’t be surprised that Arthur was only just coming to the slow realisation of what he actually felt for his manservant. It would appear that he was going to have to abandon the subtle approach and simply _tell_ the Prince what he hadn’t realised.

“None of the Camelot nobles have done anything like this because they have seen the way that you behave around Merlin. You may have never said anything but your every action simply screams that Merlin is yours and anyone who touches him will have to deal with you. They may know that Merlin is a virgin and they may want him as theirs but they are under the impression that Merlin belongs to you and that he will eventually become your lover. If I may be honest, they are rather surprised that he isn’t already; he has been your manservant for nearly three years now.”

“What are you trying to say Leon?”

Leon winced internally. He really didn’t want to interfere but, if he didn’t, then there was the possibility that Merlin could get hurt. It was a catch-22 situation and he really wasn’t sure what to do. He could tell Arthur what everybody else could see and risk having an incredibly pissed off prince or, he could keep his mouth shut and risk Merlin, who the majority of Arthur’s knights viewed as a baby brother, getting hurt. Neither option was ideal but when it came down to it, he would much rather deal with a pissed off Arthur than Merlin getting hurt.

“It is apparent to everyone my Lord that you have ... feelings for Merlin. People are just surprised that you haven’t realised this by yourself. Maybe you need to think about the depth of your feelings for Merlin and whether you want to take the risk of Merlin being hurt by one of these knights or noblemen.”

Leon could see that his words had hit home and that Arthur had a lot of thinking to do. Satisfied that there wasn’t going to be a murder committed, Leon let the prince out of his room and hoped that his words had made an impact.

~*~

Despite knowing that Merlin was still locked in his chambers, Arthur knew that he needed to think and he could never really think clearly when Merlin was around. He needed clarity and he generally got that when he talked things out loud to Hengroen, his old (and favourite) mount. Making a slight detour to the kitchens to pick up a couple of carrots and an apple he made his way to the stables.

Once he was there and satisfied that the stables were empty, he proceeded to talk things through at Hengroen for an hour. By the time that he had finished he had come to some startling realisations, the most startling of all being that Leon was right; he did have feelings for Merlin although he couldn’t pinpoint the exact feeling.

It was a combination of lots of little things.

How Merlin’s stupid little comments could somehow brighten his day. How one of Merlin’s smiles could make everything seem right with the world. The way that Merlin treated him like a normal person. How Merlin had stood up to him and crept past all of his barriers to become his best friend. The way that Merlin was unflinchingly loyal to him, even though he didn’t have a clue what he had done to deserve it. The fact that he had found himself distracted by the thought of kissing Merlin. The nights that he had fallen asleep and dreamt of ebony hair, pale skin and amazing blue eyes. The smile that Merlin seemed to reserve just for him, the one that he wanted to see all day, every day. The way that Merlin was the last person he saw on a night and the first person that he saw in the morning and he wanted not only that but to go to sleep and wake up with Merlin in his bed and more importantly, in his arms. The way that Merlin could make him laugh when no-one else could. How Merlin was only one to see Arthur and now Prince Arthur. The fact that he wanted to gouge the eyes out and chop the hands off the people who had dared to look at or touch his Merlin. Because Merlin was his. Even if he couldn’t admit out loud that he loved Merlin, because it had to be love, he could at least say that Merlin was his.

All he needed to do now was ensure that Merlin knew this.

~*~

It was all Arthur could do not to run back to his chambers despite knowing that Merlin couldn’t escape a locked room and the only key was on Arthur’s belt. He deliberately took the back stairs so that he wouldn’t run into any of the guests. He had absolutely no desire to share Merlin with anybody so he collared a servant and sent them to Leon to inform the knight that he would be in charge of training as Arthur would be going on an impromptu inspection of the borders, accompanied of course by Merlin.

By the time that he reached the door his heart was racing and his palms were sweaty; he had no idea how he was going to go about this. The decision was taken out of his hands when he unlocked the door, stepping through and locking it again; he didn’t want any interruptions. He noted that Merlin had eaten something and made the bed and then all his attention was taken by Merlin unfolding himself from his perch in the window. All logical thoughts flew out of his head and before he could even think he was moving forward, his legs eating up the distance until he was standing scant inches away from Merlin. Merlin looked thoroughly bewildered but before he could say anything Arthur cupped his face and leant in to kiss him. When Arthur pulled back, if anything, Merlin looked even more bewildered.

“Arthur ... what? You just kissed me. Why?”

“Because you’re mine and that bastard Kincaid can’t touch you.” It was Arthur’s turn to be bewildered as Merlin’s face fell and he pulled back just out of Arthur’s reach.

“So is that the only reason that you kissed me? Because I’m your property and no-one else can touch me?”

Arthur was amazed by the bitterness in Merlin’s voice and realised he had screwed things up already. He sat down on the bed and sighed heavily.

“That’s not it at all, well not all of it. Merlin, will you sit down and let me try and explain things. Please.”

It was the please that did Merlin in and he sat down on the bed, even though he still kept his distance. Arthur took a deep breath and started trying to explain.

“Merlin, Lord Kincaid was trying to kiss you this morning. I noticed a lot of the visiting knights and nobles watching you at the feast so I got Leon to do some investigating. They erm, I can’t believe I’m saying this, they are apparently aware that you’re still a virgin and they all want to be the one to change that.”

Merlin’s face was filled with horror. “They want to ... but I don’t want that! Not from them!”

“They don’t care if you want it or not. As far as they’re concerned, as long as I give permission, they can do what they want with you. It hasn’t happened before because, well, everyone in Camelot views you as mine.”

He raised an eyebrow as a blush covered Merlin’s cheeks. Maybe there was a possibility that Merlin felt the same way about him. Taking a chance he moved a little bit closer to Merlin on the bed before he spoke again.

“I screwed things up earlier. I mean yes I view you as mine but its not so that no-one else can have you. I wasn’t going to say anything yet but I don’t want you to get hurt.” He inched a little bit closer to Merlin and took a deep breath; he hadn’t even been this nervous before his first major tournament. “I think I’m in love with you.”

He was expecting bursts of laughter or Merlin to try and escape the room so he shut his eyes and waited for the reaction. What he wasn’t prepared for was the softest brush of lips against his own. He opened his eyes to find a furiously blushing Merlin smiling shyly at him. When Merlin bit his lip nervously, Arthur’s self-control snapped and he practically pulled Merlin into his lap. Merlin’s squeak of surprise did nothing to stop him and he claimed Merlin’s lips properly, his hand sliding into the mop of black hair so that he could get the angle just right.

The thought occurred to him that he could be Merlin’s first kiss and he slowed the frantic pace of the kiss so that he was no longer plundering Merlin’s mouth. Instead, while Arthur still dominated the kiss it was much slower with Arthur gently nipping Merlin’s bottom lip and coaxing Merlin’s mouth open so that their tongues could tangle together. When they were forced to part due to a lack of breath Arthur couldn’t resist one final nip to Merlin’s full bottom lip making Merlin whimper. The sight that greeted Arthur when he opened his eyes was breathtaking; Merlin’s eyes were still closed, long eye-lashes resting on those amazing cheekbones that were slightly flushed with colour and his breathing was slightly rapid. Arthur knew that if they carried on he could end up pushing Merlin further than he wanted to go and he really didn’t want to do that. He set Merlin out of his lap, noticing ruefully how good Merlin looked in his bed.

“Come on Merlin, we’re going riding.”

“Why? You’re supposed to be training the knights this afternoon.”

“Well there’s been a change of plan Merlin. We’re going riding so that I don’t see Lord Kincaid and try to rip his head off and so that none of the knights try to ogle you.”

Merlin suppressed a smile. It might sound arrogant and overbearing but Arthur was being kind of sweet and protective in the only way that he knew.

~*~

Merlin hovered awkwardly in the doorway of Arthur’s chambers, not really knowing what to do with himself now that they had finished dinner. Normally he would be taking the dirty dishes back to the kitchen but Arthur had summoned another servant to do that, making Merlin feel more than a little redundant. The afternoon had been blissful, spending time with Arthur just the two of them. It was as though nothing had changed because their interactions were just like normal with all the banter and jibing at each other but then it was completely new with all the touching and shared kisses. Merlin was ready to melt into a pile of goo by the time that they were ready to return to Camelot. He’d known that Arthur always attacked whatever he did single-mindedly and with great focus but in all his fantasies (and there had been a few) he had never thought about what it would be like to be the person that all of that not inconsiderable determination was focused on. It was a heady feeling, having Arthur lavish attention on him and it was something that Merlin could get used to very quickly. He had been disappointed when they had to return to Camelot; he was still leery about the true nature of Arthur’s feelings. Admittedly, Arthur wasn’t like the other nobles who bedded a different servant every night whether they were married or not. In fact, Merlin had never so much as seen Arthur kiss anybody before, something that he was incredibly relieved about.

To his horror, he had found himself attracted to Arthur the first time that he saw him, he had just been put off by the others prattish attitude. Unfortunately, he had ended up as Arthur’s manservant and he had been convinced that the more time he spent with the prince, the more he would end up hating him and the crush would just dissipate. What he hadn’t planned on was the fact that the more he got to know Arthur, the more attractive he would find him. Before long, he was in deep and knew that he was in love.

He started as he felt arms wrap around his waist and looked around wildly only to realise that the servant had disappeared and it was just the two of them. He managed to hold back the moan but couldn’t help the shiver of delight as several kisses were placed just behind his ear. More than anything, he wanted to close his eyes and just give himself over to Arthur’s ministrations but somehow he just couldn’t let himself give in. He forced himself to step away, fidgeting and babbling nervously.

“Erm, I should er take your things down to the laundry and umm, then go and see if Gaius needs any help.”

He wasn’t allowed to move any further as Arthur reached out and held him still.

“Merlin, please. I’m not going to force you into anything you don’t want to do but please, just stay here for the night. I just want to sleep with you in my arms.”

Arthur looked so earnest and Merlin wanted it so badly that he didn’t have the heart to say no, so he just found himself nodding slowly. He hovered anxiously as Arthur crossed over to his wardrobe but Arthur pulled out two pairs of sleep pants, causing Merlin to breathe a sigh of relief that Arthur had obviously been serious about what he said. He reached out to start undressing Arthur, the one part of his job that he had never really complained about because he always assumed that it would be the closest he ever got, only to have his hands batted away. He looked up in silent question only to have Arthur smile self-consciously.

“You’ve spent the last three years undressing me, I want to return the favour.”

Merlin could only nod dumbly in response to Arthur’s comment, hoping that he wouldn’t pass out from a combination of excitement and anticipation. He tactfully ignored the slight tremor in Arthur’s hands as he undid Merlin’s neckerchief. He was highly appreciative that Arthur was being tactful (for once!) and not mentioning the bruises that marred Merlin’s skin as a result of his run in with Lord Kincaid. He fought the urge to cling to the hem of his shirt as Arthur lifted it and pulled it off but was then thoroughly distracted as Arthur pulled off his own shirt, flinging it away to join Merlin’s, wherever it was. Merlin couldn’t resist sneaking a peak at Arthur’s face and then he stopped in shock. Arthur was staring at him utterly transfixed, a small smile on his face. Merlin raised his head fully in amazement and Arthur’s smile widened.

“Beautiful.”

Merlin scowled even as he flushed deeply. “I’m not a girl Arthur! You can’t say I’m beautiful.”

“ _Mer_ -lin. I’m fully aware that you’re not a girl, even though you sometimes act like one. I can still call you beautiful anyway, and you are.”

As he spoke, Arthur wrapped an arm around Merlin’s waist and pulled him into that broad chest. He had known that Arthur was well-built; it was implicit in the number of hours that he put in on the training field but it was another thing entirely to feel those defined abs against his own skin. He noted with amusement that he was maybe a scant inch taller than Arthur, something that he had vaguely clocked before, but it didn’t normally register because Arthur was so well-built from all his training; the complete opposite of Merlin’s skinny frame.

He hadn’t expected Arthur to be so tender, it seemed so alien when you took into consideration the almost brash confidence that he normally displayed but then it seemed to come so naturally at the same time. He couldn’t help the thrill that he would be the only person to see the Crown Prince like this. There was no other way to describe Arthur’s actions though as he lavished attention on every single inch of Merlin’s bared skin, lingering on the bruises, the curve of his neck and the oh-so-tempting collarbones. Nothing escaped Arthur’s attention as he alternated tiny little nips with gentle kisses along Merlin’s jaw-line following it up with a dusting of butterfly light kisses along prominent cheekbones until he finally reached the full lips. Merlin moaned softly and allowed his hands to tangle in blond locks as Arthur bit his bottom lip gently and then laved it with his tongue before taking possession of Merlin’s mouth fully.

All coherent thought left Merlin as a hand started to trail its way gently up and down his spine. He couldn’t help but arch into the touch, a muted whimper leaving him as Arthur’s other hand stole down to his hip before reaching round to grasp hold of his bum and pull him further into Arthur. He was just wondering how he would be able to tell Arthur that he wasn’t ready to go any further when he was abruptly released and handed one pair of the sleep pants that Arthur had retrieved from the wardrobe and promptly discarded on the bed.

“Arthur, what?”

Arthur simply gestured towards the privacy screen in the corner of the room. “Just please, go and change into those behind the screen. I’m having difficulties controlling myself and if I have to do it for you then I’m going to end up going further than you want to.”

Merlin had known for a long time that Arthur was truly honourable despite some lapses in judgement but he hadn’t realised just how honourable and he was truly touched that Arthur was willing to put aside his own wants and desires to ensure that Merlin was happy and comfortable. Not wanting to push Arthur further he darted behind the privacy screen and changed into the trousers that were of a much better quality than his own and that he pretty much had to hold up around his waist. When he emerged he saw that Arthur had changed himself and had pulled back the covers on the bed. He didn’t say anything but simply gestured for Merlin to get into the bed.

Whilst Arthur had said that he wanted Merlin to sleep with him tonight, Merlin had just assumed that he meant sleep in the same bed. He hadn’t realised that he would essentially be acting as a pillow for Arthur. When they had finally made it into the bed, Merlin had scooted over to the side, fully prepared to curl up on his side but he hadn’t been allowed. One long arm had snaked over his waist and pulled him back into Arthur’s body, holding him firmly against it. He couldn’t help but tense up which led to Arthur stroking a thumb reassuringly against his stomach and pressing a soft kiss to the nape of his neck.

“Just relax; we’re only going to sleep.”

Merlin did as he was told. The warmth of Arthur’s bed and the warmth of Arthur himself combined with the reassuring weight of Arthur’s arm around his waist and the tiny, soft kisses that were being placed along his neck and shoulder lulled him into a doze and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

~*~

Merlin blushed brightly as he caught sight of yet more knights staring openly at him where he stood with the spare weaponry. He hated Arthur for doing this to him but there was nothing that he could do; Arthur had confiscated his neckerchief and had it tied round his own wrist underneath his gauntlet. Coincidentally, Arthur had ensured that all of his other neckerchiefs were in the laundry and therefore unfit to wear. Arthur had taken great delight that morning before they emerged from bed in spending an inordinate amount of time leaving a series of love-bites along Merlin’s throat in full view of everybody. He had essentially laid claiming marks on Merlin so that everybody knew that Merlin finally belonged to him.

 It had been a heady feeling that morning, waking up in Arthur’s arms, something that he had never thought he would be able to do. When he had woken up, he had known that Arthur was still asleep from the deep and even breathing behind him, interspersed with the odd soft snore. He had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, not knowing if Arthur was going to want to forgot what had happened between them the previous night or if he had been serious about his feelings for Merlin. More than anything, he wanted to be able to escape back to his room and Gaius but there was no way that he could move. Arthur’s arm was still wrapped around his waist and Arthur was an incredibly light sleeper, having trained himself to wake up at the smallest noise. Instead, all he could do was resign himself to staying until Arthur woke up. Luckily for his nerves, he didn’t have all that long to wait. Before he could work himself up into a proper state, the arm around his waist tightened and pulled him back into the curve of Arthur’s body. He had barely had time to choke out a “Morning” before he was rolled onto his back, Arthur settled on top of him, with a return greeting being murmured into his neck. It was at that point that Arthur had started with the love bites.

Normally, Merlin was present at the knights training sessions unless he was needed by Gaius, just in case Arthur needed anything. Since Arthur had come to the realisation that Merlin was wanted by numerous people, he had insisted that Merlin come to the knights training and stay at the side where Arthur could see him at all times. Merlin had grumbled a bit but hadn’t really complained all that much. He didn’t really mind seeing as the majority of people that he knew in Camelot were the knights because he spent so much time with them serving Arthur and even though he thought it was completely stupid, he found watching them rather interesting.

He looked up as a shadow fell over him to see a grinning Sir Leon standing over him. The older knight didn’t look as though the fairly brutal training session that Arthur had just put them through had troubled him. Instead he looked as though he had simply enjoyed it, something that Merlin simply couldn’t understand. He did have a hell of a lot of time for Sir Leon though. He was one of those people that everybody in Camelot genuinely liked and respected.

“Has training finished already Sir Leon?”

“No, I’m just waiting for my sparring partner to get his breath back. These visiting knights don’t have as rigorous training as we do and they’re struggling to keep up with Arthur’s pace.”

Merlin’s eyes automatically went to Arthur who was dominating the practice field, and decimating his sparring partner in the process. As though Arthur could feel the weight of Merlin’s gaze, Arthur swiftly and neatly despatched his partner and turned to look at Merlin, their gazes locking until Merlin blushed and looked away.

An hour later, Arthur had just dismissed all of the knights, those that belonged to Camelot as well as those that were visiting, when Lord Kincaid arrived at the practice fields. Automatically, Merlin found himself placed behind Arthur with Leon hovering just to the side in case he was needed. Merlin held his breath, hoping that Arthur wouldn’t do something stupid; there was no way that Uther would condone Arthur assaulting a visiting lord over a servant. He couldn’t help but relax in relief as Arthur did nothing and simply allowed Lord Kincaid to walk past him. Arthur couldn’t just leave it at that though. Lord Kincaid turned to make a comment just at the very moment that Arthur swooped in and kissed Merlin, rubbing his thumb over one of the bruises that he had made with his teeth and lips the previous night. The kiss lasted a scant minute but as they left the practice field, Arthur with his hand wrapped around Merlin’s wrist and a smug smile on his face, Leon with an amused and wry smile and Merlin blushing furiously, Lord Kincaid was left sputtering in shock.

~*~

Three days later, Merlin felt as though he were living in some weird albeit wonderful world. He had yet to return to Gaius’ rooms and his own bed. Every night he went to sleep in Arthur’s arms (and his incredibly comfortable and ridiculously huge bed) then every morning he was kissed awake by Arthur. He wasn’t complaining but frequently found himself pinching his own arm just to check that he wasn’t dreaming. He had been rather shocked and relieved in equal measure when Arthur hadn’t pushed things any further. There had been a hell of a lot of kissing, and a fair amount of groping, but Merlin hadn’t been ready to go further than that and Arthur hadn’t pushed him. He was slowly getting used to the idea that Arthur was serious in his feelings for Merlin and, while he had known that when he was ready he wanted to lose his virginity to Arthur, he was slowly edging closer to the point where he was ready to go that far.

The knights and nobles that were visiting Camelot were there for a tournament that Uther was hosting, a tournament that Arthur was obviously competing in. A tournament that was due to start that morning. Merlin had spent the previous day enclosed in Arthur’s rooms polishing and preparing all of the armour and weaponry that he would need during the tournament, a task that, to Arthur’s pleasure, kept Merlin out of sight of everybody but himself. Now that the day of the tournament had arrived, Merlin had got up early to transfer all of Arthur’s armour and weaponry to the pavilion that had been set up in its normal place before following Arthur down there after breakfast to get him ready. That hadn’t really happened...

Arthur had spent the last thirty minutes kissing Merlin into a state of bliss in his pavilion, to the extent that they had to be interrupted by Sir Leon. Merlin had blushed like a sunset as Arthur had kissed him again, not really caring that they had an audience until Leon had finally coughed loudly and deliberately in an attempt to gain Arthur’s attention.

“I’m sorry my Lord but you’re expected on the tournament field in ten minutes for the presentation to the King and you still have to complete your preparations.”

Arthur rolled his eyes but allowed Merlin to step out of his arms and over to the table where all of Arthur’s armour and weaponry was kept until it was needed. He did appreciate Leon’s tactful intervention though, particularly seeing as he was just in his trousers, boots and the padded jerkin that he wore underneath his armour.

“Merlin, give me your neckerchief.” He was more than a bit relieved that today was one of the days that Merlin was wearing the neckerchief the exact red of Camelot’s Knights and the Pendragon family. This meant that it would be easier to hide from his father.

“What? Why?” Merlin was panicking slightly. There were fresh bruises on his throat from the previous night’s activities and he didn’t really want to show them off to the world but he didn’t really have much of a choice and if he was brutally honest with himself, he did quite like the idea of showing publically that he belonged to Arthur as more than just his servant. Resigning himself to yet more knowing glances and no doubt several aborted attempts at questioning from Gaius, he removed the neckerchief and handed it to Arthur as he turned around to gather Arthur’s chainmail shirt.

When he turned round, he saw that Leon had left the pavilion and was instead stood guard outside, giving them a modicum of privacy and also hovering in case they got distracted again, while Arthur was attempting to fasten Merlin’s neckerchief around his upper arm, just above his elbow. He stood there, not really understanding why Arthur was tying his ratty neckerchief around his arm.

“ _Mer_ lin, stop standing there like an idiot and give me a hand. I can’t do this by myself.”

“What are you doing though? I don’t understand why you’re tying my scarf round your arm.” He looked on with interest as Arthur blushed and coughed nervously. “ _Arthur!_ ”

“Don’t whine Merlin, it doesn’t suit you. Erm, it’s custom for knights to carry a favour from the person that they love or their lover, normally in the form of a scarf or a ribbon, and wear it while they fight.”

Merlin stepped forward and took over the task of tying his scarf round Arthur’s arm, even while his mind was stuck on certain words. “Your lover?”

“Yes, my lover, although I suppose both phrases apply to you. I thought you knew that by now. Come on, help me with the rest of my armour; I can’t be late out onto the field in front of my father.”

Merlin obeyed, helping Arthur on with the chainmail shirt despite the fact that what he really wanted to be doing was to be ripping the clothes off Arthur, even if they were in the pavilion and not Arthur’s chambers. He swiftly followed suit with the rest of the armour and the tabard embroidered the Pendragon family emblem and handed Arthur his sword, picking up the helmet and shield as he did so.

As he watched the knights and nobles lining up in front of the throne in preparation for Uther’s arrival, he looked out carefully for the favours that Arthur had spoken of, only seeing a few things that could possibly qualify. His eyes widened as he saw that Leon had a brightly coloured ribbon peeking out from beneath his gauntlet and he couldn’t help but wonder who it belonged to. He could feel the weight of someone’s eyes on him and looked up to see Arthur staring at him before he had to direct his attention back to his father to give the final salute. Merlin simply melted back into his established spot to watch the tournament both for the simple pleasure of watching Arthur at one of the things that he excelled at and also to watch Arthur in case his talents were required.

To nobody’s surprise, Arthur was victorious and at the end, before he could get to Merlin, he was swept off by his father. They managed to exchange a glance but that was all and Merlin made his way back to Arthur’s pavilion in order to collect a few things that needed to be taken back to Arthur’s chambers. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only person that had headed towards Arthur’s pavilion. Lord Kincaid and his son Lord Angus were severely displeased by the way that things had gone both today and since their arrival in Camelot. Lord Kincaid’s eye had fallen on Merlin and had been rebuffed and, in his eyes, humiliated by Arthur. Lord Angus, on the other hand, had been subjected to a crushing defeat at the blade of Sir Leon in the second round of the tournament yet was kept in on a technicality only to be completely obliterated by Arthur in the third round. Both men wanted their revenge and were of the opinion that this revenge could be gained by hurting the person that Arthur cared about the most; Merlin. The two of them were much bigger than Merlin and it was the work of mere minutes to overpower and subdue Merlin with one well-placed punch.

It was this scene that Sir Leon walked in on...

Merlin’s back was pressed up against the central pole holding up the pavilion and he was pinioned in between the two men; Lord Kincaid, who apparently couldn’t get the hint that he was off-limits, and his equally repulsive son Lord Angus. Merlin’s eyes were tightly squeezed shut and he had turned his face in an attempt to avoid the middle-aged man leaning in towards him but there was very little else that he could do; he had apparently been hit already if the rapidly spreading bruise to his cheek and split lip were anything to go by. He didn’t want to use his magic, he couldn’t use his magic, at least not until he had told Arthur, it just wouldn’t be right. He was very relieved when the two men were pulled off him by a furious looking Leon, although he resisted the urge to simply sink down the pole to the floor, and simply watched Leon in gratitude and a little awe.

“Lord Kincaid, I think it’s best if you and your son leave now. If you are discovered harassing Merlin again then I will personally take you in front of the King on charges of sexually harassing a citizen of Camelot.”

When the two men showed no indications of leaving, Leon made a sharp gesture and was joined in the entrance by two knights of Camelot; Kay and Bedevere, two men that a) Merlin knew and liked and b) that towered over Lord Kincaid and his son.

“Do you need assistance finding your way back to your rooms gentlemen?”

Leon’s voice was calm but had more than a hint of steel running through it. It was enough to make the two nobles move, despite their seniority over Leon, but despite their willingness to leave a glance from Leon ensured that Kay and Bedevere followed them to ensure that the senior knight’s decision was obeyed.

Merlin managed a weak smile as the Knight who was quickly becoming something disturbingly like a second guardian angel, alongside Arthur, made his way over to him.

“If you keep going like this then Arthur’s going to have you chained in his chambers and he’s never going to let you leave. At the very least he’s never going to let you out of his sight.”

Merlin groaned at Leon’s words, despite knowing they were true. “Are you taking me there now?”

“No, first I’m taking you to Gaius to have that cheek and lip looked at and then I’m taking you to Arthur’s chambers. He’s not going to be happy when he finds out what happened.”

(~*~)

Leon was right, Arthur wasn’t remotely happy. By the time they made it up to Arthur’s chambers from seeing Gaius, Merlin dragging his heels all the way, Arthur had already finished meeting with his father and was pacing up and down his chambers. His head snapped up as the door creaked open and within three strides he was in front of Merlin and Leon, tilting Merlin’s cheek so that he could see the damage properly.

“What happened?” It wasn’t a question. It was a demand.

“...”

Merlin didn’t even manage to get a word out before Arthur glared at him and he shut his mouth with a snap, glowering as Arthur spoke.

“Merlin, don’t even think of answering; I won’t get a straight answer out of you. Leon, what happened?”

Merlin sulked as Leon explained what had happened along with Gaius’ diagnosis and winced when he looked up and saw the fury on Arthur’s face. Arthur had always been protective and possessive of him in fairly equal measure since Merlin had become his manservant, even though the traits were normally kept hidden, but those instincts had increased ten-fold since they had started a more romantic relationship. Who knew what he was going to be like considering this wasn’t his first run-in with Lord Kincaid. To be perfectly frank, Arthur was going to be insufferable.

“Thank you Leon that will be all. I shall see you at the feast in an hour.”

Leon nodded and left the room having given a short bow, leaving a rather nervous Merlin.

“What am I going to do with you?” Arthur’s voice wasn’t angry; it had that sort of fond annoyance normally reserved for when Merlin had done something stupid for about the millionth time.

Merlin looked up tentatively, relieved that Arthur was no longer angry, well not towards him at least. He couldn’t resist giving Leon’s suggestion, if only to make Arthur laugh. “Sir Leon suggested keeping me locked up in here.”

“Leon’s probably got the right idea. Sadly that isn’t a realistic solution so I’ll just have to keep you within eyesight at all times. Let me see your face again properly.”

Despite the brusqueness of his words, Arthur’s hands were gentle as he cupped Merlin’s face and gently skimmed his fingers over the bruise that covered Merlin’s entire left cheek before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on the cut that split Merlin’s lip.

“Are you hurt anywhere else? Is your back bruised where they held you against the pole?”

Merlin shrugged slightly. “It aches but I don’t know if it’s bruised or not. I forgot to mention it to Gaius.”

“Come on then, we have enough time for a bath before we need to go down to the feast.”

Merlin’s eyes widened and his gaze was immediately drawn towards the huge tub of steaming hot water, eyeing it longingly. He had coveted Arthur’s large tub since he had first started working for Arthur and had long wanted to use it rather than the pathetic little thing that he used in Gaius’ chamber and he couldn’t believe that he was finally being given the opportunity to use it.

“Really?”

“Yes really Merlin. Honestly, are you going deaf? I shouldn’t have to say everything to you twice. Get undressed or we’re not going to have time for a bath at all.”

Arthur had stripped off his shirt as he spoke and was already unlacing his trousers when Merlin averted his eyes. He knew it was ridiculous; he slept in Arthur’s arms every night but he couldn’t bring himself to watch. He heard the slight splash of water signalling that Arthur had already got into the tub and relaxed slightly. He removed his shirt but hesitated when his hands reached his trousers. He didn’t quite have the confidence to remove them, not when he could feel Arthur’s eyes watching him.

“If it will make you feel better, I’ll close my eyes until you’re in the water. Even if you are behaving like a blushing maiden.”

Merlin couldn’t help but be amazed at the way that Arthur seemed to read his mind (he was choosing to ignore the insult tacked on at the end). “Yes please.”

He checked that Arthur had done what he promised before shucking his trousers and climbing into the tub. He sank into the water with a sigh of bliss; the water at Gaius’ was never this hot by the time that he got to it. His bliss further increased as he relaxed back into the solid warm bulk of Arthur’s chest, strong arms banding around his waist. He tipped his head back to rest against Arthur’s shoulder, smiling slightly as a kiss was ghosted against his temple. He resisted the urge to squirm back against Arthur and simply enjoyed the feel of the water soothing his aches and pains. Before he realised it, he drifted off to sleep, enjoying the warmth of the water and the reassuring feel of Arthur wrapped around him. He only roused himself when he was very sweetly kissed awake, something that he would have never expected from Arthur. When he first met Arthur he never would have thought that the prince was capable of doing sweet.

“Arthur?”

“We’re expected in the Great Hall in twenty minutes so we need to get dressed.”  As he spoke, Arthur was pressing soft open-mouthed kisses across Merlin’s shoulder and rubbing his stomach gently, making Merlin moan softly.

“If we’re going to get up then you have to stop doing that.”

He heard the annoyed huff behind him but Arthur stopped what he was doing. “I suppose you’re right. Come on then, up you get.”

He was hoisted up by his waist as Arthur stood up behind him and they stepped out of the tub, Arthur snagging two towels and throwing one at Merlin as he did so.

“I’d love to take my time over this but we haven’t got time. You need to wear the ceremonial uniform Merlin; it’ll be best if you can blend in with the others as much as possible. It’s hanging up with my clothes.”

Merlin dressed quickly in the hated uniform, before he helped Arthur with his formalwear, unable to resist straightening the collar and the clasp of the cloak until they were just perfect. His actions earned him a soft kiss that he instinctively melted into.

“You’re not making me wear the hat?” Merlin commented once they had separated and upon seeing that the blasted hat wasn’t with the rest of the uniform. He wasn’t complaining as he hated the damn thing but Arthur had made him wear the bloody hat for every single feast since he had come into Arthur’s employ.

“You get enough attention when you’re not wearing the bloody thing so I’m not taking any risks tonight. Now, you don’t go anywhere without either Leon or myself and you’re to stay in my view all the time we’re in the Great Hall. Understand?”

Merlin couldn’t resist and he snapped to attention, saluting Arthur. “Yes Sire, understood perfectly Sire.”

He couldn’t help the giggle that escaped him as Arthur rolled his eyes and swatted Merlin across the bum, pushing him out the door as he did so, desperately hoping that they would get through tonight without any problems.

~*~

Two months later...

Arthur straightened his back with a well-hidden roll of his eyes, at a glare from Uther. He really wasn’t in the mood for a visit from another of Uther’s old friends who would no doubt spend the entire visit kissing the ground that his father walked on. He particularly despised this particular Lord’s three obnoxious sons that he would no doubt be bringing with him. They weren’t as bad as Lord Kincaid’s son but they reminded Arthur distinctly of the noble’s sons that he had run with before Merlin had arrived in Camelot. Lord Bors wasn’t too bad; a bit too pre-occupied with drinking, feasting and hunting but compared to some of his father’s so-called friends he was one of the best of a bad bunch. He was apparently visiting with all three of his sons; Bors the Younger, Lionel and Ban. Bors (the son) was two years older than Arthur, Lionel the same age as him and Ban was a year younger and Arthur couldn’t stand any of them.

At Uther’s request, Arthur showed the three sons to the chambers that they would be using for the duration of their stay, relieved that he had convinced his father not to assign Merlin to any of the brothers, knowing that at least one of them preferred men to women when given the choice. Unfortunately, there was no way to keep Merlin out of view completely if he was to carry out his assigned duties. As such, Arthur was forced to sit through yet another feast with Merlin serving him and being ogled by the elder two brothers. He was incensed by the way that the two of them were staring at Merlin, raking their eyes over him, smiling lecherously and then whispering comments to each other.

Arthur growled, literally growled, and seized Merlin around the wrist, dragging him behind him as he called over his shoulder. “I’ll leave you in charge of this situation Sir Leon. Please ensure that those two are escorted back to their chambers.”

Merlin didn’t protest at all as they made their way through the corridors to what he presumed were Arthur’s rooms. It hadn’t been nice being groped by those idiots and he was rather relieved that both Arthur and Leon had appeared (despite Arthur’s overtly proprietary speech) but in a way they had done him a favour. At least this way Arthur might finally move their relationship further on without them having to have the subsequent awkward conversation that Merlin was dreading.

By the time they got to Arthur’s chambers, the blond was practically mauling Merlin. In fact, they were lucky that they hadn’t left a trail of clothes behind them from the Great Hall. Merlin was hit by a fit of giggles as Arthur tried to unlock the door while still kissing him (and failing miserably at even getting the key in the lock) which earned him a sharp nip to the ear. When they finally made it through the door, Merlin was shoved up against it as soon as it was locked shut, his hands pinioned above his head by one of Arthur’s hands as the other roamed Merlin’s body, stroking up and down his back, skimming over his ribs and down to clasp one jutting hipbone. Merlin squirmed until Arthur released his hands and then he was fumbling with the clasp of Arthur’s cloak and, once it was pooled on the floor, turning his attention to the decorative tunic and shirt below it. Arthur’s belt and sword fell to the floor with a clang and Merlin winced, knowing that he would have to take care of that in the morning but then his shirt was being pulled off and he was distracted by the feel of cool air playing over his skin. As he was walked backwards to the bed, he latched onto Arthur’s pulse point with lips and teeth, determined to pay him back for the marks that Merlin had had to put up with for the last couple of months.

Arthur pinned Merlin to the bed, his circlet discarded on the table by the bed, their boots lying in various points where they had been flung about the room and Arthur had his hands on the fastening to Merlin’s trousers when all of a sudden he stopped. He removed his hands and sat back on his heels, taking his weight off Merlin’s hips.

“Are you sure that you want this? I don’t want to push you or rush you into something you don’t want.”

“Will you stop being so bloody noble Arthur? If I didn’t want it then I would say so. The thing is, I do want it, and I have done for a while. I just haven’t known how to say that I’m ready.”

“Fine, if it’s what you want then I’m not going to say no. But, we’re going to take this slow. If you feel uncomfortable at any point then you say so and we’ll stop. Ok? Promise me Merlin.”

“I promise.”

Merlin gasped as his mouth was captured in an achingly slow kiss, Arthur eventually taking advantage of his open mouth to slowly slide his tongue in, exploring Merlin’s mouth thoroughly. Merlin responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around Arthur’s neck to slide into his hair and coax Arthur to fully rest his weight on him. He couldn’t hold back what he was adamant wasn’t a giggle as Arthur slid an exploratory hand across the satin-smooth (and rather ticklish) skin covering his ribs.

Merlin’s eyes rolled back in his head as a trail of kisses were pressed across his hipbones, moving down to his inner thighs, his hands going down to tangle in Arthur’s hair in an attempt to keep him there. Arthur was following his words to the letter and was taking everything at an excruciating but delicious pace. They had been too occupied in each other to bother closing the curtains so Merlin’s skin was lit with an almost ethereal glow from the moonlight as Arthur took his time exploring Merlin’s body.

Arthur reached over to the bedside table and the vial of oil that he kept there, pulling the stopper out with his teeth and coating his fingers liberally. Merlin couldn’t help the embarrassingly loud whimpers that were escaping him as Arthur swallowed his erection whole, distracting him from the inquisitive fingers probing his virgin entrance. Merlin tried to raise his hips but the strong grip that Arthur had on them with just one hand prevented him from moving at all so he had to be content with the pace being set. Arthur continued to lick and suck as he stretched and prepared Merlin slowly and thoroughly, until Merlin came with a hoarse cry. It was then, and only then that Arthur removed his fingers and started to move Merlin onto his front.

“It will be more comfortable for you if you’re on your stomach.”

Merlin shook his head adamantly. “I don’t care; I don’t want to do that. I want to be able to see you. Please Arthur.”

Arthur knew that logically he should insist on what he knew would be easiest for Merlin but he didn’t have the heart to, particularly when he would rather see Merlin as well. Instead, he simply nodded and pushed Merlin’s thighs further apart, gently coaxing Merlin to wrap one leg around Arthur’s waist.

Satisfied that Merlin was fully prepared, Arthur positioned himself at Merlin’s entrance, burying himself to the hilt at an agonisingly slow pace. The rhythm he set was slow but both of them appreciated it. Already on the edge from everything else combined with the sensations of Arthur moving within him, it took barely a touch from Arthur’s sword-calloused hand to trigger Merlin’s second orgasm, the feeling of Merlin tightening around him bringing Arthur to his own explosive climax. When they had both recovered, Arthur used a discarded shirt to clean them up and pulled Merlin back into him, spooning him as they shared a series of sated, sleepy kisses.

(~*~)

The following morning Merlin woke up, his face pressed to Arthur’s chest and a hand trailing gently up and down his spine. He pressed a kiss to the skin under his cheek and shifted slightly, wincing as he did so. He hoped that Arthur hadn’t caught it but as soon as he lifted his head he knew that Arthur had caught his reaction.

By the time that they had finally got dressed and made their way down to the training grounds, neither had managed to wipe the wide grins off their faces, and neither of them particularly wanted to hide their happiness. They were walking slightly slower than normal, allowing for Merlin’s slight but still lingering discomfort, their shoulders and hands brushing every so often. They headed towards the side of the practice grounds, near the jugs of water where Merlin had a seat for when he stayed to watch the training sessions. Normally, Arthur wouldn’t even think of doing this for the primary reason that as far as he was concerned, he was the subject of too much speculation all ready, but this morning in his state of bliss he didn’t really care who was watching. Completely disregarding the watching knights (he was no fool and he knew that his warriors could be the biggest gossips in Camelot if they felt the gossip was good enough), he came to an abrupt stop, putting a hand out to catch Merlin as he stumbled slightly and then sliding his arm round Merlin’s waist as he caught his balance. He leant in and pressed a soft, chaste kiss to Merlin’s mouth before he pulled back and spoke softly.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Not wanting to appear any more emotional in front of his men, Arthur swung around, unsheathing his sword as he did so. “Well, what are you lot staring at? This is a training session not a chambermaid’s meeting. Stop gossiping and do some work.”

Despite his pride, Arthur couldn’t resist turning around and giving Merlin one last smile and mouthed “Love you” before turning his attention back to what he should be doing ... safe in the knowledge that Merlin was his completely and utterly.

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.livejournal.com/52000.html)


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